Five Years Already: Daniel Arsham’s Eroded Zeus, a Contemporary Icon at the Heart of La Défense
- Delphine & Romain Class
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
For more than half a century, La Défense has established itself as an open-air laboratory where architecture, urban planning, and art engage in a constant dialogue. One of Europe’s most emblematic business districts, it is not merely a hub of economic activity but also a territory for cultural experimentation. Through its freely accessible collection of monumental artworks, La Défense has forged a singular identity in which art becomes part of the everyday experience of passers-by.
It was within this context that, five years ago, Daniel Arsham’s Bronze Eroded Bust of Zeus was installed. Presented as part of the 2021 edition of the contemporary art program Les Extatiques, the sculpture was exhibited for four months (from June to October 2021). The work left a lasting impression thanks to its powerful visual presence, its symbolic resonance, and its ability to evoke deep, extended notions of time within an environment oriented toward performance and the future.
A Zeus from an Imaginary Future
At first glance, viewers immediately recognize the mythological figure of Zeus, ruler of the Olympian gods, an embodiment of authority, power, and permanence. Yet something unsettles this recognition: the face appears altered, as if worn away by time, cracked, almost disappearing. Fragments of crystalline material emerge from the surface of the bronze, suggesting a slow and irreversible decay.
This aesthetic of ruin lies at the heart of Daniel Arsham’s work. The artist does not depict a relic of the past but rather an artifact from the future. The Zeus at La Défense seems as if it were discovered by a later civilization, like an archaeological trace of a lost world. This temporal inversion—viewing the present as though it were already a ruin—is one of the artist’s most distinctive signatures.
A Proven Technique
The creation of the Bronze Eroded Bust of Zeus relies on a combination of classical sculptural techniques and contemporary processes, emblematic of Daniel Arsham’s approach. The work is first designed from a model inspired by ancient busts, refined in the studio to incorporate the “degraded” areas from the outset. The bust is then cast in bronze using traditional molding techniques and patinated to give it the appearance of an ancient artifact.
To this classical base, Arsham adds his characteristic intervention: intentionally eroded areas in which crystalline elements made of polished stainless steel are embedded. These inclusions, seemingly emerging from within the sculpture itself, evoke a slow geological transformation, as if time had altered the material. This tension between the solidity of bronze and the apparent fragility of erosion gives the work the appearance of a future relic, simultaneously stable and in flux, at the very core of its visual language.
Fictive Archaeology as an Artistic Language
For several years, Daniel Arsham has been developing a concept he calls “fictive archaeology.” Through his sculptures, he imagines contemporary objects, symbols, and cultural figures as if observed from a distant future. In this logic, icons from mythology, art history, or popular culture become fragile witnesses of our civilization.
With Bronze Eroded Bust of Zeus, this reflection takes on a universal dimension. Zeus, the timeless figure of power, is shown as vulnerable, altered, and subject to the forces of erosion. The work questions the notion of permanence: what truly survives the passage of time? Are myths, empires, and symbols of domination as eternal as they claim to be?
Sophie Renard, contemporary art critic and essayist, remarks: “With his eroded Zeus, Daniel Arsham invites us to view our present as a future ruin, an exercise in projection as poetic as it is vertiginous.”
A Striking Dialogue with La Défense’s Architecture
Installed on the esplanade, the sculpture engaged directly with the surrounding glass and steel towers. This contrast between ultra-modern urbanism and the fragmented ancient figure enhanced the reading of the work. Where skyscrapers symbolize economic power, rationality, and forward-looking ambition, the eroded Zeus reminded viewers of the fragility of human constructions, even the most monumental.
For passersby—employees, visitors, tourists, or residents—the sculpture provided a pause in the daily rhythm. It invited them to slow down, observe, and reflect. In a district often perceived as functional and impersonal, the work reintroduced a sensitive, almost meditative dimension.
Les Extatiques: Art as a Collective Experience
The presence of Arsham’s Zeus was part of the broader Les Extatiques program, an artistic route designed as an immersive walk between La Seine Musicale and La Défense. The goal of the event was clear: bring contemporary art out of enclosed spaces, make it accessible to all, and create a direct encounter between the artwork and the public.
Within this context, Daniel Arsham’s sculpture became one of the most memorable pieces of the exhibition. With its immediately recognizable aesthetic and symbolic power, it reached an audience far beyond the usual circles of contemporary art.
Five Years Later: A Work Still Present in People’s Minds
Today, five years after its installation, the eroded Zeus continues to occupy a special place in collective memory. Even for those who encountered it only briefly, the image remains: that of a fragile ancient god confronted with a world of glass and concrete.
Celebrating this anniversary also highlights the essential role of public art in shaping urban identity. Through this work, La Défense has shown that art can be simultaneously spectacular, accessible, and deeply reflective, capable of transforming a transit space into a place of contemplation.
Julien Moreau, art historian, notes: “Facing the glass and steel towers, Daniel Arsham’s fragmented Zeus reminded us that even symbols of power are subject to the erosion of time.”
Daniel Arsham — Biography
Born in 1980 in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in Miami, Daniel Arsham is a multidisciplinary American artist working at the intersection of sculpture, architecture, drawing, and performance. He currently lives and works in New York.
A graduate of Cooper Union, he quickly gained recognition for his unique approach to space and time. Early in his career, he collaborated with architects, choreographers, and fashion designers, blurring the boundaries between disciplines. His work is deeply influenced by modernist architecture, geology, and classical art history.
Daniel Arsham is internationally known for his so-called fictive archaeology sculptures, in which he depicts cultural objects—ancient statues, electronic devices, cartoon characters—as if they had been discovered centuries later. His works frequently employ materials that evoke transformation and erosion, such as quartz, plaster, bronze, or resin.
Exhibited in major institutions such as MoMA PS1, Palais de Tokyo, and the Venice Biennale, Arsham also collaborates with numerous brands and figures in contemporary culture, from fashion to sports, while maintaining a coherent and conceptual artistic approach.
Through his work, Daniel Arsham invites viewers to reconsider the present as a future past and to reflect on what our civilization will leave behind—a question that his eroded Zeus at La Défense continues to pose with strength and elegance.
Read on our blog:
Comments